What treats do you give your chickens?

[msteffa]

We eat majority veggies/fruits in my house, with sides of meat and grain, so we end up with lots of scraps to share without even buying anything extra!

Vegetarians here. Bought and raised our flock from hatchlings thinking it would be good for eggs, but they are now grand chickens. They do eat our extras.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I have 5 hens in Connecticut for a year now. My approach regarding feeding & treats changes with the seasons. I offer organic layer pellets 24/7. The gals free range about 4 hours a day and get tons of goodies that way. Hot summers and Cold winters are when I supplement. I recently starting fermenting the chicken feed and this helps because you can offer it cold or warm. I put the pellets in a jar, cover with room temp, filtered water about 2 inches above pellets and let it sit on kitchen counter for a couple days. I have the ability to feed them fermented feed once in morning and again at night. I use the same bowl and they see me preparing it and all will flock to me and eat. This gives me a chance to check them with my eyes and look for any issues. All 5 chickens come for these meals. Also, I have done enough research to feel fermented feed introduces healthy gut bacteria. When it is hot outside (90 or higher) i will offer them ice cubes that have frozen berries in them (one berry per ice cube), & freshin' up the water with ice. I try not to offer too much treats/entertainment in the heat of the day. I cannot resist giving them the kale from the garden b/c they love it. I hang it up and it keeps them entertained when its not too hot. Our corn is ready for harvest and I believe corn on the cob may be their favorite treat as of yet. Hanging fruits and veggies in the run is more for entertainment but consideration to overall nutrition. I have to remind myself that their feed coupled with bugs and greens from free range should be enough to sustain them. Over treating our chickens does more damage in the long run. I often have to ask myself, who are you pleasing right now, lol, me or the Chickens. Thats why the fermented option is so cool. you can dress it up without filling them up on nonfeed items. I like to add chopped oregano and flax seeds. Protein is so important and fruits have a lot of sugar. And.... Lets be honest, I just love feeding them stuff and watching them interact and chatter away contently to one another. There is nothing like a thriving flock.

 

[drmolarmagic]

I’ve made a great treat which is
Also enrichment for my chickens. We recently got a new juicer, I take the pulp from the juicing process and shape it into Pattie’s and put them in the dehydrator. Once dried I pitch a few of these dried veggie Pattie’s into the run and they love them. I also give one to each of my rabbits as a treat.

 

[Bird is the word]

What is a loquat? I have never heard of it before.

loquat is a orangy yellow fruit that kind of looks like a peach its not sold in stores because its considered exotic and you have to get it from specific places because that they have to either grow them or get them from japan because they are Japanese plums

 

[Bird is the word]

I give my hens solider fly worms but I sometimes make cakes for them consisting of oatmeal, peanut butter, fruits and vegetables, etc.

 

[musikfan]

If you name it, they love it!! My girls are so spoiled. When they see me 100 feet away coming down the back porch steps, they start squawking because they know I have something for them. They LOVE anything that is grain-based -rice, crackers, bread, spaghetti. They love grapes and also my left over tomatoes. They love apple peels, too. It's so much fun to watch them react. If not food, they BEG for the pieces of grass that are growing outside of the run right on the other side of the chicken wire. They love clover leaves, too.

 

[Joyann Poore]

I usually give mine oatmeal and some cracked corn but sometimes I buy them fruits and veggies like apples, blueberries, corn, tomatoes, pumpkin, and watermelon. My chickens really love pumpkin (even though they usually only eat the seeds). So what treats do you give yours and which ones do they love the most?

 

[Joyann Poore]

I give mine raisins.

 

[leafpeeper]

Oh that is a good idea I may try that one day.

I did try it and my girls went NUTS..!! It was gone in 15 minutes and they were looking for more…!!! I may have to do this more often… I’m trying the fermentation method by soaking the scratch for three days, stirring it at least once a day. They love it…